The Voyage of Our Turtles: Freedom Flipper

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Location and movement of Freedom Flipper

Turtle Name:
Freedom Flipper
The official name as voted by you in WWF-Malaysia's "Turtle Idol" contest

Current Location
West of Pulau Batam, Riau Archipelago, Indonesia
as of 23 September 2007

Deployment Location
Pulau Upeh, Melaka

Deployment Date
29 July 2007

Flipper Tag Numbers
MY4624/MY4625

Curved Carapace Length (Shell Length)
76.50cm

Curved Carapace Width (Shell Width)
70.13cm

Weight
50.5kg

Biography

Freedom Flipper was encountered during her first nesting this year on 7 July 2007, and was tagged as turtle number 16 on the island (Pulau Upeh) this season. Through closer observation, it was apparent that she was a survivor; bearing a rope lassoed around her left front flipper, which we later removed, and missing back end scutes on her shell.

A satellite transmitter (model KIWISAT 101) was attached to her carapace (shell) after her third nesting on 29 July 2007. She was released at 5am and has been transmitting her travels since. She has already returned to the island (with the transmitter on her carapace) to lay her fourth and fifth clutch of eggs for the season. And at last, after her fifth nesting on the island (24 August 2007), she embarked on her voyage and has since revealed what is believed to be her foraging home at the distant shores of the Riau Archipelago.